A robot active bimodal adaptive sweating thermal management system and method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a robot active bimodal adaptive sweating heat management system and a method thereof, and belongs to the field of heat management systems.The application aims to solve the problems of insufficient heat dissipation capacity of core heat generating components, difficult temperature rise control and high energy consumption of existing robots under high power density and variable working conditions; based on real-time feedback of a temperature sensor, a control module dynamically adjusts the rotating speed of a circulating pump to match the heat dissipation demand under different working conditions, and in two working modes, single-phase forced convection heat exchange or boiling phase change heat exchange is automatically matched, and the generated steam penetrates a porous medium layer and is discharged to the atmosphere; the gravity potential energy is converted into kinetic energy by the ball, the thermal boundary layer is destroyed, and heat transfer is promoted.The application realizes accurate robust control of the temperature of core components, improves the transient heat dissipation capacity and energy utilization efficiency, and is suitable for heat management of robots operating in a very high temperature environment or intelligent robots with high requirements for the temperature state of chips and motors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to thermal management systems, specifically to a robot-driven active dual-modal adaptive sweating thermal management system and its implementation method. Background Technology

[0002] As robots evolve towards higher power density, higher integration, and greater adaptability to complex environments, the heat flux density of their core heat-generating components (such as permanent magnet synchronous servo motors, power modules, and central processing units) is increasing dramatically. Traditional air-cooling methods are limited by the low air convection heat transfer coefficient, making it difficult to meet the temperature control requirements under high heat flux density. Conventional liquid cooling systems typically employ constant flow or simple variable speed control, and their heat dissipation capacity is limited by the temperature difference between the liquid coolant and the environment. Under instantaneous high load conditions, they are prone to thermal hysteresis and temperature overshoot, leading to performance degradation or even thermal failure of the robot.

[0003] Current technologies almost entirely focus on air cooling. While air cooling for robots is widely used due to its simple structure, low cost, and ease of maintenance, its inherent limitations are becoming increasingly apparent. The most fundamental limitation lies in the fact that its heat dissipation efficiency is constrained by the ambient temperature and the physical properties of the medium. Air's thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity are far lower than those of liquids. When a robot performs high-load, high-dynamic-response tasks, such as the continuous bursts of motion of high-performance servo joints or the real-time data processing of high-computing-power controllers, the enormous heat flux density generated by the core components can quickly exceed the air's ability to carry it away, leading to heat accumulation and the formation of localized hot spots. Ultimately, this forces the robot to reduce its operating frequency to avoid thermal damage, resulting in the phenomenon of "thermal throttling," which directly weakens its performance and stability.

[0004] Traditional air-cooling relies heavily on smooth airflow, both internally and externally. This makes it difficult to improve the robot's protection level. Within the sealed casing required for high dust and water resistance, effective air convection is impossible, rendering heat dissipation ineffective. Meanwhile, the vents designed to introduce cool air allow dust, oil mist, and moisture to easily penetrate, corroding delicate circuits and transmission components. This is particularly pronounced when industrial robots operate in harsh environments, creating a seemingly irreconcilable conflict between reliability and environmental adaptability. Furthermore, the fan, as the core moving component of the air-cooling system, introduces additional failure points due to its own wear and tear and malfunction risks. Under high-frequency vibration or long-term continuous operation, problems such as bearing wear and blade dynamic imbalance will gradually emerge.

[0005] The heat dissipation capacity of conventional single-phase liquid cooling is limited by the specific heat capacity and flow rate of the coolant. When the power density of the local heat source in the robot is extremely high, the temperature rises significantly after the liquid flows through the area, resulting in downstream components being in a higher temperature environment and forming a temperature gradient along the process. This uneven cooling effect will cause the thermal characteristics of the robot's joints or core components to be inconsistent, thereby affecting the consistency of dynamic response and control accuracy during multi-axis linkage.

[0006] To achieve adequate heat dissipation, air cooling and traditional single-phase liquid cooling often require bulky heat sinks and high-speed fans. This not only encroaches on the robot's already compact internal space, increasing its overall weight and inertia, hindering lightweight design and flexible movement, but also causes wind noise from high-speed airflow and whistling as airflow passes through complex internal structures, severely degrading the user experience in human-robot collaborative scenarios. As robots evolve towards higher power density, higher protection levels, and higher intelligence, air cooling technology is encountering insurmountable performance bottlenecks, and these shortcomings collectively constrain its development.

[0007] Among existing cutting-edge technologies, some solutions attempt to employ microchannel liquid cooling technology. However, these mainly rely on one-way convective heat transfer of the medium. Although the heat transfer area is large, they still face bottlenecks such as increased thermal boundary layer and limited improvement in heat transfer coefficient when heat flux density changes abruptly. In addition, conventional liquid cooling systems are mostly closed-loop systems, and the heat inside the system still needs to be discharged to the environment through a secondary heat exchange device. When the ambient temperature is high or the heat dissipation conditions are limited, the heat dissipation effect is greatly reduced.

[0008] Specially configured robots (including but not limited to humanoid robots) face severe airflow design problems in complex and confined spaces such as the chest cavity and head, making it impossible to meet the heat dissipation requirements for high heat flux density.

[0009] In robot systems, the heat flux density and operating conditions of heat-generating components in different parts change frequently and vary significantly. Current sweating cooling systems only support phase change cooling, and their effectiveness decreases at low heat flux densities, failing to meet cooling requirements across large temperature ranges. If both single-phase liquid cooling and two-phase phase change cooling are required, existing technologies necessitate two independent cooling systems, resulting in extremely high energy consumption and making installation virtually impossible within the confined space of the robot's architecture without interfering with its kinematic pairs. This invention can simultaneously support both single-phase and two-phase cooling modes. Within the same cooling system, single-phase or two-phase cooling is performed simultaneously based on the local thermal response of the corresponding heat-generating component. The switching between modes relies solely on the physical properties of the working fluid itself, requiring no external control signals and exhibiting extremely high response speed.

[0010] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an active thermal management system with high response speed, high heat flux density adaptability and precise control of core component temperature to solve the thermal management problem of existing robots under complex and variable working conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0011] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention proposes a robot active dual-modal adaptive sweating heat management system and its implementation method, which solves the problems of insufficient heat dissipation capacity of core heat-generating components, lag in temperature control response, and high energy consumption in existing robots under high power density and variable operating conditions. It achieves precise and robust control of the temperature of core components, and significantly improves the transient heat dissipation capacity and energy utilization efficiency of the system.

[0012] One objective of this invention is to propose a robot-initiated dual-modal adaptive sweating and heat management system.

[0013] The robot active bimodal adaptive sweating heat management system of the present invention includes: a cold storage tank, a circulating pump, a bimodal adaptive heat dissipation element, a cooling device, a temperature sensor, and a control module; wherein, an independent bimodal adaptive heat dissipation element and a temperature sensor are placed on the surface of each core heat-generating component of the robot; the outlet of the cold storage tank is connected to the inlet of the bimodal adaptive heat dissipation element via a pipe and the circulating pump; the outlet of the bimodal adaptive heat dissipation element is connected to the inlet of the cooling device via a pipe; the outlet of the cooling device is connected to the inlet of the cold storage tank via a pipe; the circulating pump and the temperature sensor are electrically connected to the control module.

[0014] The dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element includes: a heat transfer substrate layer, a microchannel layer, ball bearings, a microchannel inlet sealing mesh, a microchannel outlet sealing mesh, a porous media layer, an inlet, and an outlet. The heat transfer substrate layer is mounted on the surface of the core heat-generating component. A microchannel layer is disposed on the heat transfer substrate layer and is compositely connected to it. Microscale flow channels are formed on the surface of the microchannel layer, and multiple dynamic ball bearings capable of free movement along the channels are disposed within these channels. The microscale flow channels have an inlet end and an outlet end, which are respectively connected to the inlet and outlet ends. A microchannel inlet sealing mesh and a microchannel outlet sealing mesh are respectively disposed at the inlet and outlet ends to prevent ball bearing loss and blockage. A porous media layer covers the surface of the microchannel layer, and the porous media layer is exposed to ambient air or the external space of the robot shell.

[0015] The robots to which this invention applies include: operational robots, humanoid robots, multi-legged robots, deep space exploration robots, etc. The core heat-generating components of the robot are the robot battery pack, computing motherboard, and joint motors, etc.

[0016] Depending on the actual situation, multiple dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation components can be connected in series or in parallel:

[0017] When the required cooling rate is not high, the installation space is limited, the heat output of the core heat-generating components is relatively low, the ambient temperature is low, and the budget for the cooling system is low, a series connection is used. The outlet of the cold storage tank is connected to the inlet of the first dual-mode adaptive heat sink, and the outlets and inlets of each dual-mode adaptive heat sink are connected sequentially. The outlet of the last dual-mode adaptive heat sink is connected to the inlet of the hot storage tank, and the outlet of the hot storage tank is connected to the cooling device. If there is no hot storage tank, the outlet of the last dual-mode adaptive heat sink is directly connected to the cooling device. The circulation pump can be installed anywhere in this closed loop, but installation at the outlet of the cold storage tank is optimal.

[0018] Given the high heat flux density of core heat-generating components, the high cost and complex structure of robot hardware, the variable operating conditions of heat-generating parts, the high operating temperature of the robot, and the relatively ample installation space for the cooling system, a parallel connection is adopted. Multiple branches branch from the outlet of the cold storage tank, each connected to the inlet of a bimodal adaptive heat dissipation element. An independent valve can be installed at the inlet of each branch to control the flow rate and opening / closing of that branch according to the operating conditions. The outlet of each bimodal adaptive heat dissipation element connects to the inlet of the hot storage tank, and the outlet of the hot storage tank connects to the cooling device. If there is no hot storage tank, the outlet of the bimodal adaptive heat dissipation element is directly connected to the cooling device. There are two installation options for the circulation pumps: at least one circulation pump can be installed at any location except for the branch locations (installation at the outlet of the cold storage tank is optimal); or one circulation pump can be installed on each branch.

[0019] At least one cold storage tank must be provided, and it must have an independent water inlet for replenishing the liquid coolant. The tank stores softened liquid coolant for cooling and is equipped with an internal level sensor connected to the control module. A hot storage tank is optional.

[0020] A circulating pump is used to provide circulating power for the system.

[0021] The cooling device is used to exchange heat between the circulating liquid coolant and the external environment or an external heat pump system to reduce its temperature; the installation location of the cooling device should be in a location with low or no heat generation; the cooling device adopts gravity recirculation heat pipe, finned natural convection / forced convection air-cooled radiator, or evaporator of an external heat pump.

[0022] Temperature sensors are installed at measuring points on core heat-generating components or at key temperature measuring points on dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation elements.

[0023] The present invention also includes a component frame structure, wherein a heat transfer substrate layer, a microchannel layer and a porous medium layer are disposed within the component frame structure, and an injection port and an outlet port are disposed on the component frame structure.

[0024] A porous media layer covers the microchannel layer and is located away from the heat transfer substrate layer on one side, and is connected to the fluid domain of at least a portion of the microscale flow channel. The porous media layer is made of a material with a connected pore structure, such as sintered metal powder, metal fiber felt, foamed metal, or porous ceramic, with a porosity ε of 0.2~0.9 and an average pore diameter d. p The porous media layer should be 1μm to 500μm in diameter to ensure that steam can escape smoothly with low flow resistance. If the porous media material is flexible or brittle, the lower surface of the porous media layer should contain a rigid material support layer with a sufficiently large perforated structure, such as a grid-like support layer or a rigid metal mesh layer.

[0025] The liquid coolant should be readily evaporable, leave no residue, be non-corrosive, and non-toxic within the operating temperature range of the component being cooled. Deionized water is preferred, but other coolants such as electronic-grade perfluorocarbons or ethanol can be considered in special applications.

[0026] As a further improvement of the present invention, the inner wall of the micro-scale flow channel of the microchannel layer can be processed with a boiling-enhancing structure, such as an artificial vaporization core pit, microfins or a rough surface, to reduce the superheat required for the boiling initiation point and promote the early occurrence of nucleation boiling.

[0027] In the dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element, the heat transfer substrate layer uses a high thermal conductivity material, such as copper, aluminum, aluminum nitride ceramic, or diamond / copper composite material. The heat transfer substrate layer absorbs and conducts heat generated by the core heat-generating component. One surface serves as the mounting surface, with a geometric shape that can be planar or irregularly curved, matching the outer surface of the core heat-generating component. The dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element is attached to the outer surface of the core heat-generating component via the mounting surface. The mounting surface is covered with thermally conductive materials such as thermally conductive silicone to achieve a tight fit and minimize contact thermal resistance. The geometric shape of the other surface of the heat transfer substrate layer opposite to the mounting surface can be the same as or different from the first surface, but it must meet the basic requirements of manufacturing feasibility and flow heat transfer. A microchannel layer is disposed on the other surface of the heat transfer substrate layer opposite to the mounting surface and is compositely connected to it. The microchannel layer includes multiple parallel or staggered micro-scale channels with unlimited length and rectangular cross-sectional shape. The micro-scale channels have inlet and outlet ends connected to an injection port and an outlet port, respectively, for the flow of liquid cooling medium. The hydraulic diameter D of the micro-scale channels is... h =4×S / p, where S is the cross-sectional area of ​​the microscale flow channel and p is the wetted perimeter, with a value ranging from 10μm to 1000μm, in order to achieve the maximum convective heat transfer coefficient under limited pressure drop.

[0028] Multiple freely moving ball bearings are arranged within the micro-scale flow channels inside the microchannel layer. Leveraging the frequent and dramatic changes in robot posture, the gravitational potential energy of the ball bearings is converted into kinetic energy, disrupting the thermal boundary layer and significantly promoting heat transfer. The diameter of the ball bearings satisfies the following geometric constraint: D b ≤0.3D h ; where D b D is the diameter of the ball. h Let be the hydraulic diameter of the microscale flow channel, and d be the side length of the microscale flow channel. For a square cross-section of d×d, D h =d. Preferably, the diameter D of the ball bearing is... b = (0.1~0.24)d.

[0029] The flow constraint design is specified as follows: microchannel inlet closed mesh and microchannel outlet closed mesh, with a mesh aperture D. m Satisfy: D m <D b < D m This design ensures that the balls are confined within the working area of ​​the microscale flow channel while minimizing flow resistance.

[0030] The material selection criteria are as follows: the thermal conductivity K of the ball bearing material. b With density ρ b Must satisfy: K b ≥10k f ,1.2ρ f ≤ρ b ≤3.5ρ f , where k f and ρ f These are the thermal conductivity and density of the liquid cooling medium, respectively. The preferred material for the ball bearings is nickel-plated stainless steel (K). b ≥15W(m·K), ρ b ≈7800kg / m 3 ) or silicon nitride ceramics (K b ≥30W(m·K), ρ b ≈3200kg / m 3 ).

[0031] Based on the length of the microscale flow channel and the diameter of the balls, the number of balls is determined such that the total integral of the balls is... satisfy:

[0032]

[0033] Where N is the number of balls and L is the length of the microscale flow channel.

[0034] Ball response characteristics Stk:

[0035]

[0036] Where μ is the fluid dynamic viscosity and u is the average flow velocity. It is the particle response time, τ f This refers to the fluid characteristic time. Adjusting the diameter and density of the balls, or changing the dimensions of the liquid refrigerant or micro-scale flow channels to adjust the fluid dynamic viscosity, or changing the average flow velocity, ensures that the ball response characteristic Stk meets the set range of 0.5~2. A ball response characteristic Stk≥0.5 allows the balls sufficient inertial lag to avoid complete synchronization with the fluid, generating effective shear disturbance; a ball response characteristic Stk≤2 prevents excessive ball inertia from causing complete loss of flow field control, resulting in uncontrollable collisions, aggregation, or inability to be carried back to the high-temperature region during drastic attitude changes.

[0037] Another objective of this invention is to propose a method for implementing a robot active dual-modal adaptive sweating heat management system.

[0038] The implementation method of the robot active dual-modal adaptive sweating heat management system of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0039] 1) The cold storage tank stores softened liquid coolant for cooling; the temperature sensor collects the real-time temperature of the core heat-generating components, and the control module receives the real-time temperature.

[0040] 2) The control module dynamically adjusts the speed of the circulating pump according to the real-time temperature to control the flow rate of the liquid coolant entering the dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element; the control module controls the circulating pump to provide circulation power according to the dynamically adjusted speed, and delivers the liquid coolant to the dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element.

[0041] 3) The liquid cooling medium absorbs and conducts the heat generated by the core heat-generating components, and has a dual-mode heat dissipation working mode of single-phase heat dissipation and phase change heat dissipation. Different core heat-generating components have different temperatures. The dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element automatically matches the working mode according to the working conditions to cool the core heat-generating components. The heat dissipation of each dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element is independent, realizing dual-mode heat dissipation.

[0042] Furthermore, the ball bearings within the dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element utilize the robot's frequent and dramatic posture changes to convert gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy, thereby disrupting the thermal boundary layer and significantly promoting heat transfer.

[0043] The liquid cooling medium, after absorbing heat, flows into the cooling device;

[0044] 4) The liquid coolant exchanges heat with the external environment or with the external heat pump system in the cooling device. After the liquid coolant cools down, it flows back to the cold storage tank to start the next cycle.

[0045] In step 1), an alarm system is also included, which is connected to the control module. An alarm threshold, a shutdown threshold, and a minimum start threshold are set. The alarm threshold is recommended to be set to 5%–15% of the total volume of the cold storage tank, the shutdown threshold to 2%–5%, and the minimum start threshold to 10%–20%. The three thresholds must be in the following order: shutdown threshold < alarm threshold < minimum start threshold. The liquid coolant in the cold storage tank is continuously consumed. When the liquid level in the cold storage tank drops to the alarm threshold, the alarm system sounds an alarm and replenishes the tank with new liquid coolant. The alarm stops when the liquid level returns to above the alarm threshold. When the liquid level exceeds the minimum start threshold, the control module restarts the circulation pump, restoring normal operation. When the liquid level falls below the shutdown threshold, the control module shuts down the circulation pump.

[0046] In step 2), the optimal operating temperature range of the core heat-generating component is preset. The control module compares the real-time temperature with the optimal operating temperature range of the core heat-generating component and dynamically adjusts the speed of the circulation pump according to a predetermined control algorithm. The specific form of the control algorithm is not limited. When the temperature of the core heat-generating component rises, the control module increases the speed of the circulation pump. If the temperature falls back to the optimal operating temperature range of the core heat-generating component, the speed of the circulation pump is reduced, thereby changing the flow rate of the liquid cooling medium supplied to the dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element.

[0047] In step 3), the heat transfer substrate layer transfers heat from the core heat-generating component to the microchannel layer. The liquid cooling medium within the microchannel layer undergoes single-phase forced convection heat transfer or boiling phase change, absorbing heat. Multiple freely moving dynamic ball bearings are installed within the microscale channels inside the microchannel layer. Utilizing the frequent and dramatic changes in the robot's posture, the gravitational potential energy of the ball bearings is converted into kinetic energy, disrupting the thermal boundary layer and significantly promoting heat transfer. Microchannel inlet and outlet sealing nets prevent ball bearing loss and blockage. Steam is rapidly discharged to the atmosphere through the porous medium layer due to pressure difference, while the remaining liquid cooling medium flows into the cooling device through the outlet.

[0048] When the robot is under light load or normal working conditions, the heat flux density is low, the temperature of the liquid coolant is lower than the boiling point of the coolant, the liquid coolant undergoes single-phase forced convection heat transfer, does not undergo phase change and remains in liquid state, the liquid coolant absorbs heat and its temperature rises to cool the core heat-generating components, the heated liquid coolant flows into the cooling device to carry out single-phase heat dissipation working mode.

[0049] When the robot is under heavy load or instantaneous high load conditions, the heat flux density surges, and the temperature of the liquid coolant reaches its boiling point. The liquid coolant undergoes a violent boiling phase change, absorbing heat and changing from a liquid to a gaseous state, generating a large amount of steam to cool the core heat-generating components. The steam is rapidly discharged into the atmosphere through the porous medium layer due to the pressure difference, achieving efficient heat dissipation by utilizing the latent heat of phase change, simulating the evaporative cooling mechanism of sweat glands in organisms. The remaining liquid coolant flows into the cooling device to perform phase change heat dissipation. This process simulates the physiological mechanism of heat dissipation through sweat evaporation in organisms, using the latent heat of vaporization to efficiently dissipate the heat of the core heat-generating components to the environment in the form of latent heat, thereby rapidly suppressing the rise in core temperature and achieving precise temperature control under transient high heat flux density.

[0050] In step 4), the temperature of the liquid coolant is reduced to between its freezing point and boiling point. Preferably, the recommended cooling temperature range is: [T2 + 5℃, T1 - 5℃], where T2 is the freezing point of the liquid coolant and T1 is the boiling point of the liquid coolant.

[0051] Advantages of this invention:

[0052] (1) Biomimetic high-efficiency heat dissipation: By constructing a composite heat dissipation structure of “microchannel forced convection + porous medium phase change sweating”, a seamless switching and synergistic effect from single-phase heat exchange of conventional heat flow to phase change evaporation heat dissipation of high heat flow is achieved. Its equivalent heat transfer coefficient is far greater than that of traditional liquid cooling, and it is especially suitable for handling working conditions with drastic fluctuations in power density.

[0053] (2) Precise temperature control and intelligent adjustment: Based on real-time temperature feedback and intelligent control algorithm, the system can actively match the heat dissipation demand, avoid the excessive cooling of traditional systems under low load and thermal runaway under high load, and realize precise and robust control of the temperature of core heat-generating components;

[0054] (3) Dynamic ball bearing turbulence enhances flow heat transfer: When the robot's posture changes, the balls rapidly shift and redistribute under gravity, disturbing the flow field and disrupting the thermal boundary layer, automatically enhancing heat transfer in the low-level area. Compared with a fixed turbulence structure, the pressure drop increases by no more than 15%, while the heat transfer coefficient is improved by 20-40%; the filter structure can prevent ball bearing loss and clogging, and the pore size design avoids flow blockage;

[0055] (4) System adaptability: The porous medium layer serves as a steam escape channel. Its special capillary structure works in synergy with the microchannel layer to ensure the smooth discharge of steam and, to a certain extent, maintain the stable supply of liquid in the microchannel by capillary force, thereby enhancing the adaptability of the robot under different gravity postures caused by different actions.

[0056] (5) Resource recycling: The liquid cooling medium that has not undergone phase change is recycled after being cooled twice by the cooling device, which reduces the consumption of softened water. At the same time, the thermal management energy consumption of the system can be dynamically changed according to the load, which has a significant energy-saving effect.

[0057] This invention is applicable to the thermal management of robots operating in extremely high-temperature environments or intelligent robots with high requirements for chip and motor temperature conditions. The system achieves efficient cooling of the robot through single-phase flow cooling with softened water and liquid-gas phase change evaporation cooling, thereby improving the temperature safety and lifespan of the robot system. Attached Figure Description

[0058] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the serial architecture of an embodiment of the robot active dual-modal adaptive sweating heat management system of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the parallel architecture of an embodiment of the robot active dual-modal adaptive sweating heat management system of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element according to an embodiment of the robot active dual-modal adaptive sweating heat management system of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of a dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element in an embodiment of the robot active dual-modal adaptive sweating heat management system of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the microchannel layer in an embodiment of the robot active dual-modal adaptive sweating heat management system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0063] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0064] In this implementation, the robot's active dual-modal adaptive sweating thermal management system is used for thermal management of the robot under complex and variable working conditions.

[0065] like Figure 1 and 2As shown, the robot active dual-modal adaptive sweating thermal management system of this embodiment includes: a cold storage tank, a circulating pump, a dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element, a hot storage tank, a cooling device, a temperature sensor, an alarm system, and a control module. Independent dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation elements and temperature sensors are placed on the surfaces of the robot's core heat-generating components, such as the robot battery pack, computing motherboard, and joint motors. A liquid level sensor is installed inside the cold storage tank, and a water inlet is located at the top. The outlet of the cold storage tank is connected to the inlet of the dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element via a pipe and the circulating pump. The outlet of the dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element is connected to the inlet of the hot storage tank via a pipe, and the outlet of the hot storage tank is connected to the inlet of the cooling device via a pipe. The outlet of the cooling device is connected to the inlet of the cold storage tank via a pipe. The liquid level sensor, the circulating pump, and each temperature sensor are electrically connected to the control module. Figure 1 and 2 In the diagram, the solid black lines represent pipe connections, and the dashed blue lines represent electrical connections.

[0066] Depending on the actual situation, multiple dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation components can be connected in series or in parallel:

[0067] When the required cooling rate is not high, the installation space is limited, the heat output of the core heat-generating components is relatively low, the ambient temperature is low, and the budget for the cooling system is low, a series connection is used, such as... Figure 1 As shown. The outlet of the cold storage tank is connected to the inlet of the first dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element. The outlets and inlets of each dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element are connected sequentially. The outlet of the last dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element is connected to the inlet of the hot storage tank. The outlet of the hot storage tank is connected to the cooling device. The circulation pump is installed at the outlet of the cold storage tank.

[0068] When the heat flux density of each core heat-generating component is high, the robot hardware is expensive and complex, the heat-generating parts have varying operating conditions, the robot's operating environment is hot, and there is relatively ample space for the cooling system, parallel connection is adopted, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the outlet of the cold storage tank branches into three branches, each connected to the inlet of a dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element. An independent valve is installed at the inlet of each branch to control the flow rate and opening / closing of that branch according to the operating conditions. The outlet of each dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element connects to the inlet of the hot storage tank, and the outlet of the hot storage tank connects to the cooling device. A circulation pump is installed on each branch before the inlet of the dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element.

[0069] like Figure 3 and 4As shown, the dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element includes: a heat transfer substrate layer, a microchannel layer, ball bearings, a microchannel inlet sealing mesh, a microchannel outlet sealing mesh, a porous dielectric layer, an injection port, an outlet port, and an element frame structure. One surface of the heat transfer substrate layer serves as a mounting surface, matching the outer surface of the core heat-generating component. The mounting surface is covered with thermally conductive materials such as thermally conductive silicone, tightly bonding the dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element to the outer surface of the core heat-generating component. A microchannel layer is disposed on the other surface of the heat transfer substrate layer opposite to the mounting surface and is compositely connected thereto. Microscale flow channels are formed on the surface of the microchannel layer, and multiple dynamic ball bearings capable of free movement along the channels are disposed within these channels. The microscale flow channels have an inlet end and an outlet end, with a microchannel inlet sealing mesh and a microchannel outlet sealing mesh respectively disposed at the inlet and outlet ends. Figure 5 As shown; a porous medium layer is covered on the surface of the microchannel layer, and the porous medium layer is exposed to ambient air or the external space of the robot shell; the heat transfer substrate layer, the microchannel layer and the porous medium layer are disposed within the component frame structure, and the injection port and the discharge port are disposed on the component frame structure, respectively connected to the inlet end and the outlet end of the microscale flow channel.

[0070] In this embodiment, the cooling device uses a gravity-flow heat pipe; the temperature sensor is installed at the key temperature measurement point of the corresponding core heat-generating component; the porous dielectric layer uses porous ceramic with a porosity ε of 0.7 and an average pore diameter d. p The diameter is 50 μm; deionized water is used as the liquid cooling medium. In the dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element, the heat transfer substrate layer uses copper with high thermal conductivity; the hydraulic diameter D of the microscale flow channel is... h =d =2mm, where d is the side length of the microscale flow channel.

[0071] The diameter D of the ball b =0.10mm; the mesh aperture D of the microchannel inlet and outlet sealing meshes. m =0.09mm, using a stainless steel filter screen, configured with a certain number of ball bearings. The ball bearings are made of silicon nitride ceramic, and the thermal conductivity of the ball bearings is K. b ≈35W(m·K), density ρ of the ball b ≈3200kg / m 3 .

[0072] Total integral of ball bearings It is 0.04.

[0073] Ball response characteristics Stk:

[0074]

[0075] Where μ is the fluid dynamic viscosity and u is the average flow velocity. It is the particle response time, τ fThis is the fluid characteristic time. Based on the above ball bearing parameter settings, in this embodiment, Stk≈1.33∈[0.5,2]. The local Reynolds number Re generated by the ball bearing motion is... b :

[0076]

[0077] In this embodiment, Re b ≈150, satisfying 10 2 <Re b <10 4 It can effectively disrupt the thermal boundary layer.

[0078] System Nusselt number improvement ratio It can be characterized as:

[0079]

[0080] Where α is the structural coefficient, Pr is the Prandtl number of the fluid, Nu is the Sel number, and Nu0 is the Sel number before the lift. In this embodiment... ≈3.

[0081] The implementation method of the robot active dual-modal adaptive sweating heat management system in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0082] 1) The cold storage tank stores softened water-based coolant as the liquid cooling medium. Various temperature sensors collect real-time temperatures of core heat-generating components such as the robot's battery pack, computing motherboard, and joint motors. The control module receives these real-time temperatures. Alarm thresholds, shutdown thresholds, and minimum start thresholds are set. It is recommended that the alarm threshold be set to 10% of the total cold storage tank volume, the shutdown threshold to 3%, and the minimum start threshold to 15%. The liquid cooling medium in the cold storage tank is continuously consumed. When the liquid level drops to the alarm threshold, the alarm system sounds an alarm and replenishes the tank with more liquid cooling medium through the inlet. The alarm stops when the liquid level returns to above the alarm threshold. When the liquid level exceeds the minimum start threshold, the control module restarts the circulation pump, and the system returns to normal operation. When the liquid level is below the shutdown threshold, the control module shuts down the circulation pump.

[0083] 2) The control module compares the real-time temperature with the optimal operating temperature range of 20~75℃ for the core heat-generating component, and dynamically adjusts the speed of the circulation pump according to the predetermined control algorithm. If the temperature drops back to the optimal operating temperature range of the core heat-generating component, the speed of the circulation pump is reduced, thereby changing the flow rate of the liquid coolant supplied to the dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element. The control module controls the circulation pump to provide circulation power to deliver the liquid coolant to the dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element according to the dynamically adjusted speed.

[0084] 3) The liquid cooling medium absorbs and conducts heat generated by the core heat-generating components, featuring a dual-mode heat dissipation operation. Depending on the operating conditions, the dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element automatically matches the operating mode to cool the core heat-generating components.

[0085] When the robot is under light load or normal working conditions, the heat flux density is low, the temperature of the liquid coolant is lower than the boiling point of the coolant, the liquid coolant undergoes single-phase forced convection heat transfer, does not undergo phase change and remains in liquid state, the liquid coolant absorbs heat and its temperature rises to cool the core heat-generating components, the heated liquid coolant flows into the cooling device to carry out single-phase heat dissipation working mode.

[0086] When the robot is under heavy load or instantaneous high load conditions, the heat flux density surges, the temperature of the liquid coolant reaches the boiling point, and the liquid coolant undergoes a violent boiling phase change, absorbing heat and changing from liquid to gas, generating a large amount of steam to cool the core heat-generating components. The steam is rapidly discharged into the atmosphere through the porous medium layer due to the pressure difference, using the latent heat of phase change to achieve efficient heat dissipation, simulating the evaporative cooling mechanism of sweat glands in organisms. The remaining liquid coolant flows into the cooling device to carry out the phase change heat dissipation working mode. This process simulates the physiological mechanism of organisms dissipating heat through sweat evaporation, using the huge latent heat of vaporization of water (about 2260 kJ / kg) to efficiently dissipate the heat of the core heat-generating components to the environment in the form of latent heat, thereby rapidly suppressing the rise in core temperature and achieving precise temperature control under transient high heat flux density.

[0087] Different core heat-generating components have different temperatures. The dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element automatically matches the working mode according to the working conditions and adapts to the corresponding heat dissipation mechanism. The heat dissipation of each dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element is independent, realizing dual-mode heat dissipation.

[0088] 4) The liquid coolant exchanges heat with the external environment or with the external heat pump system, lowering the temperature of the liquid coolant to between its freezing point and boiling point, and then flows back to the cold storage tank to start the next cycle.

[0089] Finally, it should be noted that the purpose of disclosing the embodiments is to help further understand the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various substitutions and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and the appended claims. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to the content disclosed in the embodiments, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A robot active dual-modal adaptive sweating heat management system, characterized in that, The thermal management system includes: a cold storage tank, a circulating pump, a bimodal adaptive heat dissipation element, a cooling device, a temperature sensor, and a control module; wherein, an independent bimodal adaptive heat dissipation element and a temperature sensor are placed on the surface of each core heat-generating component of the robot; the outlet of the cold storage tank is connected to the inlet of the bimodal adaptive heat dissipation element via a pipe through the circulating pump; the outlet of the bimodal adaptive heat dissipation element is connected to the inlet of the cooling device via a pipe; the outlet of the cooling device is connected to the inlet of the cold storage tank via a pipe; the circulating pump and the temperature sensor are electrically connected to the control module. The dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element includes: a heat transfer substrate layer, a microchannel layer, ball bearings, a microchannel inlet sealing mesh, a microchannel outlet sealing mesh, a porous media layer, an inlet, and an outlet. The heat transfer substrate layer is mounted on the surface of the core heat-generating component. A microchannel layer is disposed on the heat transfer substrate layer and is compositely connected to it. Microscale flow channels are formed on the surface of the microchannel layer, and multiple dynamic ball bearings capable of free movement along the channels are disposed within the microscale flow channels. The microscale flow channels have an inlet end and an outlet end, which are respectively connected to the inlet and outlet ends. A microchannel inlet sealing mesh and a microchannel outlet sealing mesh are respectively disposed at the inlet and outlet ends. A porous media layer covers the surface of the microchannel layer, and the porous media layer is exposed to ambient air or the external space of the robot shell.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation components are connected in series or in parallel.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The porous medium layer is made of a material with a connected pore structure, a porosity of 0.2 to 0.9, and an average pore size of 1 μm to 500 μm.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the ball satisfies: D b ≤0.3D h ; Among them, D b D is the diameter of the ball. h It represents the hydraulic diameter of the microscale flow channel.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The thermal conductivity K of the ball material b With density ρ b Satisfy: K b ≥10k f ,1.2ρ f ≤ρ b ≤3.5ρ f , where k f and ρ f These are the thermal conductivity and density of the liquid cooling medium, respectively.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 4, characterized in that, Based on the length of the microscale flow channel and the diameter of the balls, the number of balls is determined such that the total integral of the balls is... satisfy: Where N is the number of balls, L is the length of the microscale flow channel, and d is the side length of the microscale flow channel.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 5, characterized in that, Ball response characteristics Stk: Where μ is the fluid dynamic viscosity and u is the average flow velocity. It is the particle response time, τ f is the fluid characteristic time, and d is the side length of the microscale channel; adjust the diameter and density of the ball, or change the size of the liquid refrigerant or the microscale channel to adjust the fluid dynamic viscosity, or change the average flow rate, so that the ball response characteristic Stk meets the set range of 0.5~2.

8. A method for implementing the robot active dual-modal adaptive sweating heat management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The implementation method includes the following steps: 1) The cold storage tank stores liquid cooling medium; the temperature sensor collects the real-time temperature of the core heat-generating component, and the control module receives the real-time temperature. 2) The control module dynamically adjusts the speed of the circulating pump according to the real-time temperature to control the flow rate of the liquid cooling medium entering and being delivered to the dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element; the circulating pump provides circulation power according to the speed dynamically adjusted by the control module, and delivers the liquid cooling medium to the dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element. 3) The liquid cooling medium absorbs and conducts the heat generated by the core heat-generating components, and has a dual-mode heat dissipation working mode of single-phase heat dissipation and phase change heat dissipation. Different core heat-generating components have different temperatures. The dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element automatically matches the working mode according to the working conditions to cool the core heat-generating components. The heat dissipation of each dual-mode adaptive heat dissipation element is independent, realizing dual-mode heat dissipation. Furthermore, the ball bearings within the dual-modal adaptive heat dissipation element utilize the robot's frequent and drastic posture changes to convert gravitational potential energy changes into kinetic energy, thereby disrupting the thermal boundary layer and promoting heat transfer. The liquid cooling medium, after absorbing heat, flows into the cooling device; 4) The liquid cooling medium exchanges heat in the cooling device. After the liquid cooling medium cools down, it flows back to the cold storage tank to start the next cycle.

9. The implementation method according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step 1), an alarm system is set up, and a liquid level sensor is installed inside the cold storage tank. The liquid level sensor and the alarm system are electrically connected to the control module. An alarm threshold, a shutdown threshold, and a minimum start threshold are set. When the liquid level in the cold storage tank drops to the alarm threshold, the alarm system sounds an alarm and injects new liquid coolant into the cold storage tank. The alarm stops when the liquid level recovers above the alarm threshold. When the liquid level exceeds the minimum start threshold, the control module controls the circulation pump to restart and resume normal operation. When the liquid level is below the shutdown threshold, the control module controls the circulation pump to shut down.

10. The implementation method according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step 3), when the temperature of the liquid coolant is lower than its boiling point, the liquid coolant undergoes single-phase forced convection heat transfer without phase change and remains in a liquid state. The liquid coolant absorbs heat, its temperature rises, and it cools the core heat-generating components. The heated liquid coolant flows into the cooling device to perform single-phase heat dissipation. When the temperature of the liquid coolant reaches its boiling point, the liquid coolant undergoes a violent boiling phase change, absorbing heat and changing from a liquid state to a gas state, generating a large amount of steam. The steam is discharged to the atmosphere through the porous medium layer by means of the pressure difference. The remaining liquid coolant flows into the cooling device to perform phase change heat dissipation.

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